Now, what did I just wander into... No way.......

[Will the Wanderer]

Welcome will!

If you start from the same basic principles of following physics in your setting, includie nanotechnology, provolved animals, space travel, terraforming, superintelligence, etc, we'll all come to pretty similar conclusions about what a future setting would look like
So probably no worries there ?
But that's a testement to your ability to think through these parts of settings on your own !

We'd love to hear more about this story!

Oh my God! You are my people! I thought I was alone! I finally witnessed the internet doing a good thing!

Thank you for the warm welcome Dfleymmes. I agree, 100%. I must share a guilty internal truth about my discovery of the OA. I made a point not to look into any SF forums of any kind, out of fear I would find what I just found.

But you've relieved my anxiety. In fact, I am so excited I could... I don't know what, but think of something.

You've flattered me by asking for more! I'm very happy to share, and I'd love to share my provolves, megastructures, the Neural Net, in all your appropriate forum locations. 

Title: Into the Stars

Tag: From stars we came to stars we shall return. 

Tag: A story for all humanity

Hook: A homeless man, dying alone in the woods, is offered a wondrous miracle; live forever amongst the stars. The only catch is that he must prove that he can.

Backside: Thomas D. Callaghan the Supertramp, is living alone in the woods. He knows he is dying. He has only two simple wishes, to see the colors of the night haze in the Milky Way, and finish his last book before they find his body.  


Then, a miracle happens. He sees no other way to describe it, when an unearthly guest arrives for dinner. He is given an unbelievable second chance; a chance to live forever in the great and mysterious outers of space. The only catch, to prove he can survive and thrive in such a way of life. 

Throughout his adventures, he becomes something more than human, he learns the secrets of nature, along with the fact that immortality is far more mortal than one would think. 

Setting: My setting follows your exact principles except in a sort of opposite way. It is set in the present, and there is currently a vast alien culture that is established in the galaxy, we just can't see them because space is big, real big (Adams). For FTL I have them use their version of the Alcubierre-White drive for warp travel. I make a point to call the method Zip, instead of warp drive. But I intentionally reference Star Trek and Dr. Alcubierre beginning inspired by Star Trek. 

Genetic modification combined with nanotechnology enables the ability to live without aging. Death can still occur from severe trauma. If an animal eats them, they're dead. 

The lore is 60,000 years long, filled with many eras. The current era is "the Golden Age." I have made a duodecimal base 12 number system that is also included in a nontheistic religion that believes entire galaxy's species will merge as one singular intelligence and ascend into an energy based state. There are tales that such beings already exist. But they're just chocked up to be stories and fairy tales...?

Convergent Evolution is used to establish my own evolutionary stories for key species. One species, the Ligrons, are hermaphroditic marsupials that appear similar to gorillas by structure, became obsessed with eugenics early on. As a result, the eugenic practicing culture conquered all the other cultures. They value warfare and competition as a result of such an evolutionary pattern. When they finally became space faring they attempted to conquer the galaxy. They were put in their place by nearly being wiped out by the most highly evolved species in the galaxy, in 3 days. From 19 billion to 12 thousand. Over the next thousand years, they repopulated and brought themselves back to the galactic community, begging for an opportunity to make amends and rejoin the galactic community with a clean slate. This event would become known as the Labors of the Ligrons.

That back story serves as support for a character who participated in the Labors 2,000 years ago. I'm trying the Tolkien approach by ensuring everything is rich with history and back story.

Thanks for letting me share! I have loads more! I am currently at page 142 and I estimate it should be finished around 415. I've been working on this book for 10 years I think. But I only ever wrote the first chapter and rough outlines. I started really writing it back in August and I hope it will be finished before the end of 2020. 

Thank you for listening, thank you for letting me join, and I can't wait to see your work!

-Will